title: Trends of childhood obesity in China and associated factors.
abstract: Childhood obesity is worsening at dramatic rates and has become a public health crisis. This study investigated these trends in childhood obesity and examined parental factors that may contribute to overweight and obesity. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from height and weight measurements taken annually from 2004 to 2007 in a subsample of 136 children (2-4 years old), from the Jintan Child Health Project in China. Parental factors were assessed through a self-administered questionnaire. Prevalence rates of overweight and obesity rose from 6.6% and 2.2% in 2004 to 15.4% and 6.6% in 2007 (p < .05). Overweight was significantly associated with maternal employment (p < .05), but not with parental education level, maternal age at birth, or breast-feeding. To counter this rapid increase of obesity and overweight prevalence, nurses should regularly monitor children's weight and advise parents, especially working mothers, on the nutritional benefits of home-cooked meals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Guiju
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Genmei
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Honglei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Barbra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dickerman
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Charlene
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Compher
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA jhliu@nursing.upenn.edu.
authors.forename: Jianghong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D014931:Women, Working
keywords: maternal employment; obesity; overweight; preschool children